A Werewolf's Tale

the walls closing in on her, the cold, hard stone moving with her; the building, like it was alive, watching her. It was a silence that felt unnatural l

nd the air was thick with the damp stench of the stone. As they walked, Lyra couldn't help but look at the tapestries that hung from the walls, each depicting wolves in various stages of hunting, stalking prey, an

o her, his eyes softer now, but the intensity remained. "This is where you'll be sleeping

prising warmth. The bed was big, and its thick blankets were a departure from the stone walls. A little fire crackled in the hearth throwing sparks into the ai

arre - familiar and, in some way, comforting, but also suffocating. She was supposed to be here, at the

ay rest. We have so much to talk about tomorrow, but for now, it's ti

tersely. "I'm not going to be a part of it," she repe

ng shut behind him. Lyra held her heart for a moment, her chest heavy by how real this thing

ard the wolves themselves. Something deep inside her soul connected with this place, with the wildness that seemed to hang in the ai

longed to rebel, to rip herself free from this bond. But another part - a more primal

e's no sense in brooding about things she couldn't change. For now, all she

ies all her life-the stories of the werewolves who resided in the forest, of the alpha who was the most powerful, and of the ritual that required a human bride. She had

pt in the nocturnal wind. Somehow the forest begged her to draw closer. And sh

the only living thing remaining, alone in a place between here and the other. Th

d there was Cassian, Kale's second-in-command, in the doorway. His imposing height fill

throaty and smooth, though with an edge. "The

iance despite everythin

ritual," he said simply. "The alpha has his plans made. It is tradition. Yo

d been empty threats, they would be dead. Whether she was ready for it or not, it was happening. She always knew traditions in he

?" she said, a touch of q

tly. "And neither will Kale. Alpha and bride were connected by bonds that could not be sev